Whitney Hable

My general research interests are in mechanisms of cell polarization, growth and development, and the role the environment plays in these processes.

Cell polarization, the generation of asymmetry within a cell, is an essential event underlying many biological processes. For example, in plant and animal embryos, polarity is often established in the egg or zygote, and ultimately determines the basic organization of tissues and organs within the organism. I am investigating this process in zygotes of marine brown algae in the genera Fucus and Silvetia, where polarity is established in the zygote by the position of fertilization, and can be reoriented by environmental signals such as unidirectional light. A dynamic actin cytoskeleton is required for both fertilization-induced polarization and light-induced reorientation of polarity. Current research questions include: 1) Which protein pathways regulate the assembly of actin filaments? 2) How do actin regulatory proteins respond to natural environmental cues? 3) How do environmental toxins disrupt polarity establishment and development?

In collaboration with Dr. Ken Oliveira, I am investigating gametogenesis and fertilization in the American eel, Anguilla rostrata. After spending many years in or near freshwater habitats, adults migrate to and spawn in the Sargasso Sea, where investigations of reproductive behavior and early development are not possible. We have developed protocols to induce sexual maturation of both male and female eels, and our research has resulted in the first successful artificial fertilization in this species. Current research questions include: 1) What are the stages and timing of early embryogenesis? 2) What are the effects of pollutants on gametogenesis and fertilization?